Using fresh tomatoes and basil to create the ultimate soup. Developed for maximum flavor and minimum acidity.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Total Time55 minutesmins
Servings: 41-cup bowls
Calories: 189kcal
Ingredients
1-2tablespoonolive oilfor roasting
6roma-type tomatoeslarge
3beefsteak tomatoes
1red or orange bell pepper
1yellow onion
4garlic cloves
½teaspoonsweet paprika
2 ½cupsvegetable stock
1teaspoonsugar
½cupalmond milk, milk, or heavy creamsee note
2ouncesFresh Parmesan cheese (and rind)exclude for dairy-free
8basil leaves
salt and pepper
Instructions
PREP WORK
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Quarter the tomatoes, bell pepper, and onions. Toss with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Smash the garlic cloves.
ROAST VEGGIES
Toss tomatoes, bell pepper, and onions on 1 very large baking sheet, or 2 medium ones. Don't crowd the vegetables or they will steam more than roast.
Roast for 5-10 minutes and then add the smashed garlic cloves to the baking sheet. Roast another 15-25 minutes, stirring half way through. You want to take them out when they are soft and starting to caramelize. If some finish early, take them off the sheet, set aside, and continue to roast the rest.
MAKE THE SOUP
Add the roasted veggies to a large stock pot. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the sugar, salt, paprika and Parmesan rind (rind only). Then bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind, then blend until smooth using an immersion blender.
Taste the soup. Add almond milk or heavy cream, adding more if you prefer it that way :) Add more salt, pepper, or paprika if you want.
Strain if you want a silky smooth soup (I usually skip this).
GARNISH & SERVE
Garnish with basil leaves and shaved Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Almond milk vs heavy cream: I've tried both. Almond milk is lighter and doesn't impart any flavor. Heavy cream will give it a 'richer' consistency if that's what you are going for.Tomatoes: Roma (also called plum) tomatoes are usually less acidic than 'regular' tomatoes. However, I find the flavor of other tomatoes to be more intense. While I love the flavor of cherry tomatoes, they would add too much skin to the soup. So instead, I opt for beefsteak. I use half roma and half beefsteak to get the best of both worlds.Calories are calculated using almond milk. Add 100 calories per serving (1-cup bowl) if you use heavy cream. (Half a cup of heavy cream is 400 calories).